At 38, Giovanni Ricci has already chalked up 23 years in some of the world's best kitchens - including the Sheraton Bologna in Italy and the Hilton Prague in the Czech Republic. More recently, he ventured to Asia with a stint at the Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he was responsible for the 100-seat award-winning Senja Restaurant.Ricci comes from San Benedetto del Tronto, an active fishing port and one of the main seaside resorts on the central Adriatic coast in Le Marche, Italy - and the maritime influence is reflected in his shrimp salad and seafood platter.But he is also schooled in classic Italian, as marked by the chef's tiramisu, a dessert that has already won him accolades and an award in Malaysia.At Bene Italian Restaurant at the Sheraton Beijing, Ricci takes advantage of the seasonal truffles from November to March to create several signature dishes. One is a black truffle risotto with a veal roll with ham. Another is a buffalo cheese tortellacci with black truffle paste. [...]

A statue of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of luck, fate and fortune, is being presented to St Albans by Fano in Italy to strengthen links between the twin towns. The six-foot-tall bronze artwork is a replica of the statue of Fortuna that stands in the fountain of Fano’s main square. The Roman town of Fano was originally named Fanum Fortunae, or “the shrine of Fortuna”, the Roman goddess of Fate. [...]

Today we go together to discover Vestignano, a lovely and ancient town in Val di Chienti that is also known as the Land of Castles.Vestignano is a tiny medieval citadel with massive walls, a defensive tower and well preserved turrets. Within the walls there is a maze of lanes and archways, and an old Longobardic church dedicated to St. George with beautiful frescos attributed to Simone and Andrea De Magistris and to the School of Foligno. If you want you can visit also the little Museum of the Rural Culture, with many stuffs that are a testimony to rural life in the 1900s. [...]

Many of the stories on this site concerning the protection of escaped POWs describe the brave actions of the contadini, the poor farmers of central Italy. But people from other strata of Italian society were also involved in the rescue of escapees and evaders. [...]

IN THE HOT Italian summer, I think about Count Giacomo Leopardi, immured in the library of his father’s palazzo in the small town of Recanati in the provincial Marche, inland but within sight of the sea. Almost a total isolate, still in his early twenties in the early years of the 19th century, he was half-consciously forming the project of redeeming Italian poetry from what he saw as two centuries of mediocrity. And he was writing down his opinions in a series of notebooks called the Zibaldone (literally, “hodgepodge”). Translated for the first time into English, thanks to Jonathan Galassi of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, with a team of two editors and no less than seven translators, these notebooks come to more than 2,000 pages. [...]

Political circumstances led Dante into exile from Florence, including in Marche where he provided profound inspiration to the local culture.

Urbino is remembered by Dante in the 27th canto of the Inferno in a dialogue with Guido of Montefeltro, the local lord. Fiorenzuola di Focara owes it notoriety for having hosted Dante Alighieri in a baker's house where the poet experienced the emotion of strong gusts of wind lashing the promontory on which stands a castle by the sea creating the most incredible and dangerous currents.

You would normally go to a museum to see things: art pieces, statues, sometimes ancient artifacts from other ages or from other parts of the world. But there are also museums where you can end up making handmade paper in a fascinating ancient way. To be honest, not everywhere you can pretend to be a “Mastro Cartaio” (literally an expert paper-man) but in Le Marche you can find just the right place! The Museum of the Paper in Fabriano where you can really see how it was to be a paper-craftsman centuries ago. [...]

Marche, this region gently sleeping on the Adriatic side. Its perfect territory has everything we need for a good holiday, from the mountains to the sea, through gorgeous landscapes in the countryside and tiny cute hamlets in the hills where the pollution doesn’t even exist and the air is as fresh as 300 years ago.One of this small medieval villages is Sarnano, become an independent municipality in the second half of the 13th Century. The old city center, perched on a small hill [...]

Mariano’s main activity online is digital curation. This means Mariano searches, selects and curates in 7 different topics or “content hubs” the best online contents about the Region of Le Marche. For him, this is an activity 7 days a week and takes more than 8 hours a day. So you can just see how he passionate he is about his Region. [...]

When one comes across Pecorino, it’s natural, for an epicure, – even one well versed in Italian wine culture – to think of cheese. But that’s not what this article is about. Pecorino is also a white grape native to the Marche region of Italy, so named, it is presumed, because the sheep of the region (the Italian word pecora means sheep) liked to snack on the grapes. Or maybe it was the sheepherders; nobody knows for sure. [...]

Fiastra Abbey Marche, the deer sanctuary is only a small part of the Fiastra Abbey Nature Reserve that spreads over 1800 hectares in the Le Marche region. It is managed by the Giustiniani-Bandini Foundation, a private organization, that focuses on safeguarding the lands, scientific research and environmental education. [...]

A multinational group of entomologists has discovered a new species of singing cicada that occurs from southern Switzerland to central Italy. The newly-discovered species has been named the Italian mountain cicada (Cicadetta sibillae).

“The species name ‘sibillae’ is genitive of ‘sibilla’, and is derived from the locality name Monte Sibilla in the Monti Sibillini mountain group (Marche Region). [...]

Mariano Pallottini's insight:

In addition, the name is indicative to the wife of the first author, with her first name being Sibille,” Dr Hertach and his colleagues wrote in a paper published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

The Italian Marches, sandwiched between the towering Sibillini mountains and a long Adriatic coastline, are gradually being recognized as one of Italy’s most fascinating and rewarding regions.

The cultural tour will embrace the perfectly preserved Renaissance town of Urbino, the pilgrimage centre of Loreto, with its magnificent basilica, and the charming mediaeval city of Ascoli Piceno. The historic theatres found in the many hilltop towns also feature prominently on our itinerary, as do three of the region’s major artistic figures, Carlo Crivelli, Lorenzo Lotto and Federico Barocci. [...]

Hiking in the Sibillini Mountains - From 2 hour circular walks, to hiking up Hell's Gorge, to climbing over 1000 meters to Pilate's Lake, there are so many interesting hikes. Afterwards relax in Amandola with a gelato or coffee, watching the world go by and reflecting on the day.

Some of our favourites walks include:

Gola dell'Infernaccio - a stunning walk suitable for most levels which is especially great during the summer as you are walking by the river Tenna, waterfalls and through shaded beech woods. Slicing through limestone cliffs, you can take a side path up to the San Leonardo Church, the perfect place for your lunch stop. Originally the church was built by a group of Camaldolesi monks in the 9th centuary, before it was abandonned in the 1500's.

Then in 1960, Padre Pietro a Cappuccian monk made this his hermitage and started building his own gothic church once more. The church is beautiful but simple and surrounded by nature, this has been his mission for over 40 years and you may even be lucky enough to meet him working on the shurch or growing his own veggies.

Lago di Pilato - slightly more difficult (and you might just ache a little the next day, but it is certainly worth it!) amazing views all round and the most rewarding part of the 1000 meter climb is when Pilates Lake comes in to view. You will pass through beech woods and plateus and make sure you make an early start in summer as it can get quite hot up there.

However, be careful you are not tempted to take a dip in the waters though as they are protected, being the only home in the world where the tiny fairy shrimp Chirocephalus Marchesonii live. The coral coloured shrimp swims tummy up and you may just be able to spot them. In the middle ages there were rumours that devils and ghastly spirits lived up here.

Dogana Loop - further away but well worth the drive - a long (15.5 kms) but easy walk with stunning views over Castelluccio, Monte della Laga and the Piano Grande. Halfway along the walk is the rifugio Colle Le Cese, where you can be refreshed or eat your lunch.

Part of the walk is on the Grande Anello dei Sibillini and you will be rewarded at every turn with a new vista. A really beautiful walk with only one slightly steep climb just near the end.

Lama Rosse or Red Blades - take a hike up to these wonderful creations being eroded by the elements into cliffs and pinnacles. You will walk through thick shady woodland and may be mistaken for thinking you have wondered into the Middle East.

The walk starts by the beautiful blue Fiastra Lake where you can bathe in the designated swimming areas. Dammed in the 1950's the lake provides hydro-electric power.

From the Lama Rosse, you can also continue to the Grotta dei Frati, a small cave hidden away in the rocks

Agriturismo Coroncina is a bed and breakfast in the beautiful Le Marche region of Central Italy. It is a lovely country house with a vegetarian restaurant, swimming pool and wellness centre. It is five minutes drive from the pretty town of Belforte del Chienti, in the province of Macerata, which is 80km south of Ancona.

On my ten day vacation visiting family in Italy, I took the opportunity to visit some of the lesser-konwn attractions in my family's backyard. Tuscany is beautiful, and the world knows it. But the Marche are just as beautiful and, in comparison, relatively undiscovered. My family lives in Fabriano, a small town nestled in the Apennines. [...]

The second leg of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli’s journey takes them to the heart of Italy and the regions of Le Marche and Umbria. After a snack of Le Marche style stuffed olives they uncover the Renaissance city of Urbino and the palace of Federico da Montefeltro. Scholar, connoisseur and commander of a private army; Federico is one of the driving forces of the Italian Renaissance. [...]

Every Thursday during July and August the beautiful city of Fermo in Le Marche plays host to a huge night market. The marked is packed with all sorts of stalls selling antiques, crafts, art and locally produced food, including delicacies like fresh truffles. People travel from all around to visit and it really starts to come alive after 10pm. The main hub of the night market is in the square, Piazza di Popolo, and spills out onto the streets leading off it. [...]

The second leg of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey takes them to the heart of Italy and the regions of Le Marche and Umbria. After a snack of Le Marche style stuffed olives they uncover the Renaissance city of Urbino and the palace of Federico da Montefeltro. Scholar, connoisseur and commander of a private army; Federico is one of the driving forces of the Italian Renaissance. Then, in the dark depths of the Apennine Mountains, they explore one of the largest underground caves in the world, the Grotte di Frassasi. [...]

In the area of Frasassi, along the Frasassi’s Gorge, the Sentino river has created a spectacular environment and the mountains that surround it are full of caves of every kind. If you are already skilled, you can pick up your gear and start exploring...The Frasassi area is well known for the famous Frasassi Caves which were discovered in 1971 and that are about 18km long...

Read the incredible story of Spartaco Perini, from the mass retreat Russia travelling 3,000 kilometers some on foot in -45°C, to the mountains of Ascoli Piceno organizing one of the first partisan group [...]

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